Odd Love
by margeauxblack
Summary: Yes, the title sucks... I will find a better one: Hermione has left the wizarding world, only to be summoned back after the Weasley's, one in particular, sustain a horrible loss. Will she be able to pick up the pieces? GWHG, M for later chapters...
1. Chapter 1

Okay, here is my first fic... please be gentle... or not. Compliment, criticize, whatever floats your boats, dearies.

**I own nothing associated with HP... everything is the lovely JK Rowling's.**

Chapter One,

Avoiding the Past, and Bad News

The War was finally over, but it did not leave much room for celebration. Voldemort took out hundreds of wizards and muggles alike in his final rage against defeat. Many good people died in the Final Battle. Perhaps the saddest death was that of Harry. This was a death that Hermione would relive every waking moment of her life.

_"Harry, Voldemort's gone, you did it!" yelled Hermione, running towards him, arms spread wide for a hug. As they embraced, Harry said,"It's over, finally, it's ov-" His words were cut short as he saw Bellatrix Black emerge from the shadows. She raised her wand toward Hermoine's back, and began the killing words, "Avada Kedavra."_

_In a split second decision, Harry spun himself and Hermione around, getting the full blow of the curse square in the back. Before Hermione could realize what happened, Harry was dead on the floor. She was engulfed with rage as she saw the grin on Bellatrix's face erupt. Lestrange raised her wand to utter the killing curse to Hermione, but was too slow as Hermione had already spoken the fatal words._

Hermione was completely lost to all reason after this. In her eyes, Harry's death was her fault. He, the savior of wizard and muggle alike, was killed not by Voldemort, but by protecting her. She hated herself, and figured that everyone else hated her too. Yes, they were still kind to her, but she knew that in their innermost hearts, they hated her. Or, at least Hermione thought that was the case. To spare them, and herself from the torment, she dropped out of the wizarding world all together.

The Weasley's were devastated by Harry's loss. He was like one of their own. But Hermione was one of the family as well. They still loved her, and her vanishing made the reality of the loss after The War all the more painful. Ron was exceptionally distraught over the whole situation. One of his best friends was dead, and the other had deserted him in their time of grief. However, they slowly moved on. Ron went to work as an auror, the twins reopened WWW, and Ginny was working as a clerk in the Ministry.

It had been almost a year since the final battle, and no one had seen Hermione since Harry's memorial service. She had decided to go to the States for a bit of down time, and was working as a waitress at a crummy restaurant in a desert wasteland called Arizona. It was there that she ran into Lee Jordan.

She was wiping down the bar when he walked into the restaurant. When Hermione saw him walk through the door, she felt like she would faint. She couldn't let him see her, he would tell everyone where she was. Instinctively, she ducked behind the bar, and crawled into the back kitchen.

There she stood at a sink, washing the same plate over and over again. Her ritual was halted when another server came up to her. "Hermione, there's someone outside to see you." said Kellie. "Tell him I am not working here any longer." Hermione stuttered, her heart beating faster by the second. "He said that if you said something like that, that I should tell you that there is an emergency with the Weatley's." said the other waitress, clearly annoyed at playing messenger.

_Oh no, the Weasley's? What has happened? I have to go find out, even if my hiding place is blown. _

Hermione slowly walked out into the main part of the restaurant. Seeing Lee at a booth, she quietly slid into the pleather seat opposite him. He looked very sad. His eyes had dark circles around them, and he looked as if he hadn't slept well in months. "Hermione, I have been looking for you for months. There is something you really need to know." Lee stated his words slowly, searching for the right ones. With those words, and the look on his face, she knew it was really bad. " What is it? What has happened to them?"

That was when Lee told her about Fred.


	2. Chapter 2

**As always, I own nothing. It is all JKR's(except my pitiful little plot, that is).**

Tate Dean- thank you for being my very first reviewer!

Chapter 2,

Reflection

A young man was walking slowly through a deserted graveyard. He came upon a large headstone. He hadn't even realized that his feet were leading him there. It was very unique for a headstone.

The man made sure of that before the burial. His mother had wanted something plain and 'normal', but he knew his brother better than anyone else, and made damn sure that they complied with his wishes. Staring at the bright purple gravestone, he thought that perhaps he did over do it. There were brooms and rubber chickens engraved all over it, and under his brother's name were the words, _Mischief Managed._

"I am so sorry, chap." began the redhead. "I knew that us testing all of our shit would come back to bite us in the ass someday, but I didn't think it would come so fast, or bite so fucking hard." With that George sat down on the damp earth, wanting to be closer to his brother. He quickly became lost in a memory that had haunted every sense of his being ever since the day his life was destroyed.

_George was standing very impatiently in their flat above WWW. "For fuck's sake, Fred, get the hell up here! We have got to finish testing these products! FRED!"_

"_Coming, dear brother, coming. I was just looking for that headache potion mum brought me. I've got a bitch of one right now." answered Fred, huffing into the room._

"_I will help you find it when we're done, okay? We have to get these new products to the Ministry Approval Board by 5. So, do you want the Steam Engines, or the New and Improved Skivving Snack boxes?" was his brother's reply._

"_Steam Engines, I guess." Said Fred, at the same time, he picked up one of the little green toffees that were sitting on the counter. "Here's to us, bro!" said Fred as he popped the treat into his mouth. _

_Fred's face then turned a brilliant shade of crimson, making his vivid hair look more and more dull. Smoke started to come slowly out of his nostrils, and then ears. The smoke intensified until he looked as if he was an actual steam engine, puffing away up a mountain. The steam started to subside, and Fred's color turned back to normal._

"_Well?" asked George. "Fred, you okay mate? You're looking a bit peaky."_

_Fred's color had drained, leaving him looking as if he'd just seen a ghost. "Not really, George. I'm not feeling very well-"_

_With that, Fred lost consciousness and fell. George lunged foreword, and caught up his brother just before he hit the ground._

"_Fred? FRED! Can you hear me mate? Fred!" _

_George tumbled over to the couch with his brother in tow. He got Fred onto the cushions, and looked over him. He wasn't breathing. With a wave of his wand, George sent an emergency summons. (kind of like calling a muggle ambulance)_

_Within seconds, a Mediwizard squad apparated into the room. They rushed to Fred, performing various charms to try and treat him. The main Mediwizard stopped after about five minutes, and turned to George. "We've got to get him to St. Mungo's now! We are losing him."_

_With that, Fred was hoisted onto a flat backboard, and the mediwizards apparated away. George soon followed. _

_It was an hour before anyone told them about Fred's wellbeing. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley had been called to the hospital as well, and Ron and Ginny were expected there at any moment. _

_Just then, an old looking Mediwizard with tired eyes, and white hair came up to the family. He looked at Aurthur and started, "Mr. Weasley, I am very sorry to tell you this, but we have lost Fred." _

_With those words, George head started spinning. He felt as if a darkness was engulfing him. He couldn't breath. He heard the old doctor say the word aneurism, and then fell into the pit of darkness._

It was now beginning to get dark, and George was shaken out of his reverie by a hand on his shoulder. He hastily wiped at the tears running down his cheeks, and turned to find Ginny standing above him.

"Oh, hi. I was just, well, having some brother to brother time, you know?" Said George, rather embarrassed at having been crying in front of his little sister.

Ginny kneeled down next to George, and put an arm around his shoulder. "It wasn't your fault, George." He looked at her for a few seconds, believing she was lying through her teeth. "Lee got a hold of Ron today. He said he has found Hermione and told her about Fred. She took it really hard, but he doesn't know if she will come back or not."

With thatshe rested her head on George's shoulder, looking at her brother's grave. "Do you think he is ok?" she asked. "I hope so." Replied George, and the two siblings sat with their brother until the last bit of light was extinguished, George blaming himself for everything, and Ginny hoping that he wasn't.


	3. Chapter 3

a/n I was going to write this chapter sometime tomorrow, but as my roommate has come home plastered, with a passed out friend whom I much watch for signs of alcohol poisoning, I figured, what the hell? Why not write it now eh? Ahh, college life...

Thankee to my reviewers… all three of you…. hehe, enjoy!

As previously stated, I do not, nor will I ever, own anything in relation to Harry Potter… that is JKRowling's brainchild.

Chapter 3,

Hermione had just finished shrinking her final bag for the trip back to the wizarding world, and the Weasleys. She glanced at herself in the mirror. _Rubbish_. She had spent the better part of the last two days crying over what happened to Fred. She loved the Weasley's almost as much as she loved her own family… in some ways, she loved them more. They had been through more in the past few years than most people go through in their entire lives.

Hearing of Fred's death tore her up inside. The Weasley's were such good people. They did not deserve to have this kind of pain in their lives. She decided to go back. Lee told her that Molly was utterly miserable, and had fallen into a deep state of depression. He said that Ron and Ginny begged him to help them look for her. Apparently they figured that having her back might give the family a better sense of unity, and rouse Molly out of her dep set depression. Lee also said the George was taking Fred's death exceptionally hard, and hearing the circumstances of Fred's death, she figured that George was feeling extremely guilty as well.

Hermione took one last look around her shabby apartment. Nope, she hadn't left anything. She sighed, knowing that she couldn't put off leaving any longer.

"Well, here goes nothing!" she said, and disapparated to the Burrow.

Hermione ended up apparating quite a few yards from the actual house, she hadn't really been using that kind of magic for months, and was a bit off. Slowly, she began walking towards the home that had once held so many wonderful memories for her.

Upon reaching the door, she gently knocked. Apparently no one heard her, and after a few moments she gingerly pushed open the door. The house was very dark, deficit of it's general warmth and light.

After taking two steps into the home, she heard a shrill squeal, and was then enveloped in a huge hug, being suffocated by a mass of bright red hair.

"Hermione! Thank goodness you've come! What on earth did you leave us for in the first place? Oh, RON! She's here! Ronald Weasley!" Ginny squealed, not releasing the tight squeeze on Hermione.

"Shit Ginny, get off of her or she'll desert us again." Said Ron's voice, coming from the hallway.

Ginny released her grip long enough to give her brother a glare that could make a giant fearful. "Ronald Weasley, I will not having you make snide remarks about Hermione. She has suffered just as much as we have, and has every right to deal with it in her own way, even if it was leaving us for a while. But she did come back, and that is what matters." She huffed, beginning to tear.

Ron shrugged, gave Hermione a brief hug, and left the room. _Well, he is still mad about my leaving,_ she pondered. Ginny saw the unease in Hermione's eyes, and gave her friend a reassuring squeeze. "He'll come around, don't worry. You know him, two hours and he'll be back to his old self."

Hermione shrugged. She knew he was right to be mad.

"Are you up for seeing Mum? I'm warning you now, and Lee probably already told you, she isn't the same anymore. It might be hard for you to see her like this."Ginny asked quietly.

"Of course, I want to see her. She has been as much of a mother to me as my own. It doesn't matter what state she's in. Lead the way." Hermione answered, thinking that Mrs. Weasley couldn't possibly be as bad as she sounded.

The two women walked up the stairs, Hermione pausing at the door of the twins old room for a moment,

_She had been downstairs reading, and heard a loud bang followed by George's voice yelling," Oh Shit! Get water! Fred, WATER! I told you not to mix that much dragon's breath!"_

_A burning smell then hit her nostrils. She sprinted up to their room, throwing the door open only to be blasted with a strong stream of cold water coming from Fred's wand. _

"_Bugger, sorry Mione, had to get the fire out, you know.". giggled Fred. _

_She grinned and spurt a stream of water at each twin drenching them in water, and then turned and walked to her room to clean up._

"Hermione, you ready?" asked Ginny.

Hermione shook off the memory, and realized that they were at Mr. and Mrs. Weasley's room. She nodded at Ginny, and Ginny opened the door.

Hermione's mouth fell open, and she gaped at the sight before her.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N Sorry it has taken me so long to update… I am a horrible procrastinator, and had 3 tests and a HUGE paper due last week, therefore I was up till about two am every night trying to get my shit done! Anywho, thanks for the comments… I know it is a little dark, but I don't really know how to lighten up the story with all of the death that has happened... i dont really think having it all light and happy would be very accurate... so sorry if I am depressing anyone…. And I am open to suggestions! ( Miss Havisham was my inspiration for Mrs. Weasley, so if Great Expectations rings a bell, that's why)

**I own nothing associated with the Harry Potter Universe. It is JKRowling's ingenious invention. **

Chapter 4,

Mrs. Weasley?

Hermione's mouth fell open as she gaped at the sight before her.

The room was dark- all of the drapes shut out the light from the windows. Mrs. Weasley was sitting in a classic looking armchair, staring off into space. Her usually rosy complexion was white and sickly. Her vibrant hair hung dully around her face, looking as if it hadn't been washed in weeks. She wore a black set of robes that were very wrinkled and stained. There were even a couple of rips in the fabric. There was an incredibly vacant air about her. Hermione doubted that Mrs. Weasley had even noticed that they had entered the room.

Ginny was the first to speak. "Mom, mom, we have a visitor. Hermione's come!" She was trying to sound cheerful, but Hermione knew that the sight of her mother had instantly drained any happiness Ginny was feeling.

Mrs. Weasley slowly turned her head towards them. The vacancy was still there. She seemed to look straight past the two of them.

"Hello Mrs. Weasley," Hermione ventured. "It is really good to see you again" For one of the first times in her life, she was completely deficit of what to say.

Mrs. Weasley began to speak, "I suppose they've told you about my Fred." She ushered Hermione closer, and closer, until Hermione was a few inches away. She kneeled down to Mrs. Weasley's level. Mrs. Weasley gave a malicious glare at Ginny, and proceeded to whisper in Hermione's ear, "I don't believe them, you know. He was always playing tricks on us. This is just another one. But _they_ don't believe me, trying to convince me that my baby is gone. Well, he's not. You have to help me find him! Just don't tell them you are. You have to help me find him!"

Hermione felt a slight tug at her shoulder. Ginny was standing there; tears welled up in her eyes. "That's enough mum," Ginny began.

Hermione started to stand up, watching the now desperate look on Mrs. Weasley's face. "Don't tell them you're helping me, or they'll send you away!" She whispered, not seeming to register that Ginny was only inches away. Mrs. Weasley's face slowly lost its emotion, and she turned back to staring at her wall.

She could see that Ginny was about to lose her composure, so Hermione led her out of the room, closing the door softly behind them.

Ginny burst into tears the second the door shut. Hermione ushered her down the stairs, and back into the living room.

She gave her a hug, and said "God, Ginny, why didn't you tell me she was this bad? I am so sorry."

"I, we thought that maybe seeing you would help bring her back to reality, she sniveled. "She thinks we are all out to get her. She wont let us help her do anything. She barely eats what we give her, and hasn't changed her clothes since the funeral. Bill thinks we should take her to St. Mungos, but I don't want her in the hospital. Ron has been saying we need to stupefy her to get her cleaned up, and check out her health, but it's mum! I don't want to treat her as if she were some sort of animal, and if we did that, she would be even more distrustful of us." Ginny's words had begun slowly, but finished in a hurried mumble before she burst into a fresh batch of tears.

Hermione saw that questioning Ginny about what to do with Mrs. Weasley would have to wait until she calmed down, so she proposed some lunch and began set out to the kitchen, leaving Ginny some space.

Ginny came in a few minutes later, looking more composed. She began helping Hermione with lunch. Hermione ventured to ask about the whereabouts of the other Weasley children.

She learned that Bill was off on an assignment for Gringotts, but would come back sometime tomorrow. He and Fleur separated a couple of months after the war had ended. Apparently, she couldn't deal with his lycanthropy any longer. Ron, as she knew, was home on leave from work, and George was rather hard to pin down. He came by every couple of days, but she didn't know where he ventured off to between visits home. WWW had been all but forgotten by George, and Angelina had been running the store since Fred's death. Mr. Weasley pretty much immersed himself with work to hide from the demons lurking at home. He came home late every night, and left early every morning. He even went to the office on weekends now.

There was a knock on the door, and Remus Lupin poked his head into the kitchen. Hey Ginny, just wanted to come check on- Hermione?" he had obviously just noticed her presence in the room.

"Hello Remus" she said, wondering if he was mad at her for leaving as well.

Apparently he wasn't, because he walked up to her, gave her a huge bear hug, and said, "It is really good to have you back with us, Hermione. We were all incredibly worried about you."

He released her from the hug, and sat down at the kitchen table, hearing the past few days events from Ginny, and then going up to see Mrs. Weasley. When he came down, looking slightly more haggard than usual, the three sat down to lunch.


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: The Harry Potter Empire belongs to JKRowling, and JKRowling only. I am merely borrowing the characters for a bit.

A/N Thanks for the reviews, as always. I will warn you now that this chapter certainly is not my favorite, and I have been suffering from extreme writers block regarding this fic, so there you have it. Read on.. and PLEASE help me out with where to take this!

Chapter 5

A decent meal.

The remainder of the day was rather uneventful. Ron was still being childlike and pissy, Remus had left pretty early after lunch. Hermione learned that Professor McGonnagal had reinstated him as professor, and he needed to be back at Hogwarts for a meeting. Hermione, Ginny, and Ron had just sat down to dinner when the unmistakable sound of someone apparating was heard. The three looked up from the table to see George walk in the room.

Hermione was taken aback by his appearance. He had always been relatively clean-cut and neat in appearance, but he now looked quite scuzzy. His hair was grown out into an almost shoulder length dirty mop. He had the beginnings of a beard, and wore a muggle tee-shirt and pants that were wrinkled and dirty. She could see deep set pain in his eyes, and he looked as if he had lost quite a few pounds since she last saw him. He hadn't lost enough weight to make him look sickly, but loss of a few more pounds would certainly put him into that description.

George had decided that he better check in at home. He hadn't been there for two days, and knew that Ginny was getting more and more frazzled. She didn't need to be worrying about his wellbeing on top of everything else. He didn't know how she could handle being there 24/7. He could barely handle a day. But, then again, their mother didn't grow hysterical at the sight of her. She just thought Ginny was 'in on the conspiracy to keep Fred away'. Mrs. Weasley conveniently chose to name George as the ring leader of her so-called conspiracy, and had to be restrained whenever she set eyes on him.

He was also curious as to whether or not Hermione would show up. If she had decided to return, she would have come in by now. It had been about a week since Lee found her, and it isn't like travel time is much of a factor for wizards. He knew Ron would probably be giving her the largest guilt trip of her life, but deep down George knew that Ron would be very grateful to have her back. Hell, he would be grateful too. Ginny needed her, and his mother had always been close to Hermione. She might be able to help her.

He left his flat in muggle London, and apparated to the Burrow.

Arriving in the entry way, he smelled food. That wasn't unusual, seeing as it was dinner time, but this food actually smelled, well, good. He loved Ginny to death, but the girl couldn't cook to save her life, and the scent wafting into his nostrils was actually making him hungry.

Walking into the dining room, he was greeted by the stares of Ginny, Ron, and Hermione. Hmm, she showed up after all, he thought to himself.

Ginny jumped up and embraced her brother in a warm hug. "Hello George, you're just in time for dinner. You're in luck, Hermione's cooked for us tonight." George smiled to himself, so that was why he didn't want to immediately vomit after smelling the food.

He glanced at Hermione. She was smiling at him, but there was an invisible weight tugging her personality down. He could sense it. Hell, he had the same thing. She really did look nice though. Her clothes were of a punky nature. Nothing like what she used to wear, but he thought it suited her better anyway. Her hair wasn't the mass of frizz any longer either. It was still long, but was tamed into loose flowing curls.

"Hermione, nice to see you again," he said.

She walked over to him and gave him a tight squeeze. "Likewise," she said as they released from the hug. "Well, sit down; I'll make you a plate."

With that, George went to his usual place at the now deserted looking table. It was surreal not having it piled high with food, and people scrunched around every possible inch of the table. He muttered a greeting to a very grumpy looking Ron, and got a grunt in return.

They ate in silence, no one knowing what to say. After dinner, Ron grudgingly started doing the dishes in reply to Ginny's nagging, and Hermione walked into the living room to sit with George.

He looked at her for a moment, and then asked, "So, you've seen mum then?"

"Yes." She answered.

"Did it help her?" was his next question, not sure if it was the best subject to be on.

"No. Well, she kind of sees me as on her side, but that doesn't help anything. It's not like I can play along with her. That would be cruel." Said Hermione, vividly remembering the state in which she found Mrs. Weasley. "Are you going to see her?" Hermione had been wondering why he hadn't gone up to visit his mother yet.

"You mean they didn't tell you?" He asked, judging from the look on her face, they hadn't. "Well, she thinks the whole family is keeping her from Fred, as you know, but she thinks it is all my idea, that I am the cause of it. She gets enraged every time she sees me. I think the part of her brain that knows Fred is really gone cant take the sight of me, being twins and all, and she justifies not seeing me by convincing herself that I am the cause of his disappearance." He said, inwardly thinking that he was the cause of Fred's disappearance.

Hermione felt like crying. It was horrible to see the family so torn up. Every one of them was lost in their own battles, and trying to come to terms with their loss. She could see the pain on George's face. Having heard the details of Fred's death, she knew he must be blaming himself for it. And having Molly raving at him couldn't be helping.

"I'm so sorry George," she began, but didn't really know what else to say, so she hugged him again.

She smelled really good, he mused as she hugged him. Her hair was in his face, and it smelled like coconut. It felt nice to be hugged, really hugged by someone. Sure, he had that from Ginny, but this was different. He had an overwhelming sense of comfort with her in his arms, and was rather disappointed when she ended it.

"Well, I guess I had better head out," he said about a half an hour later. Ginny and Ron were mad at each other for some reason, and he didn't feel like watching them fume at one another for the rest of the night.

"I'll walk you out," volunteered Hermione, desperate for an excuse to get out of the room with the two fiery siblings.

As the two stopped at the front doorway, Hermione decided to ask George a question.

" So where do you disappear to anyways? Ginny told me you are always incommunicado for a few days." She figured she would just get a vague answer, but to her surprise he answered her.

"I have a flat in muggle London. Have for some time, actually. You know, this family can get kind of claustrophobic at times, and I needed a place to get away." He actually gave her the specifics of the location, and told her that if she needed to get out of the Burrow, she was welcome there.

"Well, have a good night George." She said, surprised that he told her his big secret location.

"It was really nice seeing you again, Hermione. I just wish it were under better circumstances. Everyone has really missed you, you know." He really was glad to see her. She would be able to settle down Ginny and Ron. Actually, she'd probably be able to get his mom out of her denial as well. Hermione's intellect would figure it out, it always had in the past.

As he walked into his apartment, he vaguely wondered why he had told her where he was staying when he wouldn't even disclose the information to his family. He guessed it was because he sensed something about her that night that made him relate to her. Besides, she wouldn't tell anyone.

George reluctantly laid down, knowing that the nightmares of Fred's death and his family's disorder would plague his sleep yet again.


	6. Chapter 6

A/N For me, the next week will probably be the equivalent of all hell breaking loose. I will be very very very busy, so here's a new chapter… I tried to make it a long one as reimbursement for my not being able to update soon. I am horrid at touchy/feeliness, but figured I should give it a go, so if it sucks, don't hold back. I need criticism to learn…

Now read on fellow HP weirdoes! (I use the term weirdo in the utmost form of endearment- since I am a HP weirdo myself teehee.)

**Disclaimer: You know, and I know, and JKRowling knows, and her top notch lawyers know, that I own nothing in the Harry Potter Universe.**

Chapter 6

Insomiacs.

Thoughts shown as –blah blah blah-

Hermione woke up, again. It had been her first night in the Burrow, and the day's events were plaguing her. She was horrified with what was wrong with Mrs. Weasley, and Mr. Weasley had come in that night around eleven pm, barely acknowledged her presence, and gone straight to bed, Ron and Ginny were at each other's throats for some reason, and she had a vague suspicion she was part of the cause. The house had lost it's old warmth and glow, and she felt like she was lying in a tomb rather than a bedroom.

-Hot Chocolate, that will help-

Hermione got out of bed, and softly pattered down to the kitchen. She saw that she was not the only sleepless person in the house, and sat down next to Ron at the table. She knew she really needed to talk things out with him anyways, and now was as good a time as any.

Ron was the first to speak. "So, erm, couldn't sleep?"

"No, I've been up all night. New surroundings, you know?" she replied.

"But they aren't new, Hermione." She grimaced at the use of her full name. With him it was always 'Mione. He said it meticulously, coldly. He never called her that unless he was really and truly pissed.

"Well, you know, it has been awhile." She answered, realizing that she probably just said the wrong thing. And, alas, she had.

That was the last straw for Ron. Alone it wouldn't have ruffled a feather, but he had been fuming inside since she left, and that one sentence broke the proverbial camel's back.

"Well, WHOSE FAULT IS THAT!" He boomed, rather surprised by his volume.

"Ron, please stay calm." Hermione countered, still much shaken by his outburst.

"Calm? Hermione, you left after Harry's funeral without saying a word. You didn't tell anyone where you were going; you cloaked yourself from location charms. For all we knew, you could have been captured by one of the leftover death eaters, and rotting in the ground somewhere! Do you think it was easy for me to lose my two best friends in a matter of days? Do you think it was easy for this family? You were one of us Hermione, and you damn well knew it. But no, you selfishly took off, running from you're problems, burdening us with even more! Do you know how long we were looking for you? Searching muggle hospitals, and combing every place known to man? We never would have found you had you not stopped casting the counter location charm on yourself. And to America? You had to run that far? What was SO BLOODY WRONG WITH US THAT YOU HAD TO LEAVE WITHOUT A WORD?" Ron had started out calmly enough, but the last few sentences grew louder and more strangled until he was screaming again. His face was bright red, and his eyes were brimming with unshed tears.

Hermione at that moment saw how much she had hurt everyone. She had been the cause of Harry's death and had caused her wizarding family months of worry and heartache. If she could have felt any worse than she had for the past year, she did now. Guilt invaded every fiber of her being, and tears began welling in her eyes. Unlike Ron, she didn't try to hold then back, and her face was soon covered in a sticky mess of tears and snot.

"Ron, I'm so sorry," she warbled, "If only you could have felt what I was going through. I'm so sorry, Ron. In retrospect, I see that leaving was a mistake. But you have to understand how I was feeling." Hermione broke off there, unable to adequately explain the way she was feeling.

"Hermione, what is God's name makes you think that you were feeling anything different than the rest of us? I lost my best friend too. I lost everyone else too. I wanted to crawl under a rock and hide too, but things had to be done, and people needed me. People trusted me, and I did not let them down." With that Ron got up, and stormed up to his room.

Hermione was left in utter ruin. She had to get out of the house. She had to clear her head. She went to the only place she could think of.

6

George had been watching muggle infomercials on the television for the past two hours. He had left the remote on top of the TV, and didn't have the strength to get up and walk the four feet to retrieve the remote. Actually, he didn't have the strength to grab his wand that was four inches away from him and summon the remote. Besides, these things were kind of interesting. He suddenly had the feeling that he really needed the All-in-one hammer, screwdriver, toothpick, wire stripper, and ruler they were advertising. If he actually had a phone, and had the energy to pick it up, he probably would have placed an order. George was brought out of the wonderful world of television by a knock at his door.

"Bloody hell, it's three in the morning, who in their right minds is up at this time of nigh?" he sighed, conveniently ignoring the fact that _he_ was up at three in the morning.

-Who would be knocking on my door? No one knows I live here, and I have never spoken to any of the muggles. I'm not one for muggle customs, but to be calling at three am is rood in any culture-

George grabbed his wand, and cast a charm on the door to reveal to him the person standing on the other side. She had her back to the door, but he knew only one person with that wild curly hair.

He quickly walked to the door and opened, loosing all of the laziness he had possessed minutes before. Hermione turned around at the sound of the doorknob turning. George was shocked at the sight of her. Her hair was mussed and tangled, and her eyes were extremely red and puffy from crying. She was barefoot in her pajamas, and he realized she must have apparated there. Then realizing he was just standing in his doorway gawking at her, he moved aside to let her in.

"Hermione, what happened?" Concern was evident in his voice. He placed a protective arm around her shoulders and led her to the couch.

"Ron happened." Was her only reply.

However, George could imagine everything that had been said, since he had many times sat on the other side of his little brother's drunken musings about Hermione's leaving.

"You know Ron, it'll blow over soon. Now that he's finally gotten to tell you how he was feeling, he doesn't have to hold on to it any longer, and will soon stop fixating on it." George had seen similar behavior countless times with Ron. For that matter, Hermione had as well.

"I know, but all the other times, I could fall back on the knowledge that he was wrong, and I was right. But this time, he is right. I just realized how much I hurt everybody in leaving, and I thought it was for everyone else's good. It is my fault that Harry died, and I believed you all secretly blamed me for it. I couldn't keep going around with a fake smile on my face, and be with all of you when I knew deep down that I was the cause of his death, so I spared you the tedious task of hiding your feelings of me, and left." She answered, felling a tremendous weight off of her chest when she told George her feelings on the subject of Harry's demise.

George shuddered at the though of Hermione blaming herself for so long. He also saw doubt in her words. She still thought she was responsible for his death. He grabbed either side of her arms, and turned her on the couch so that she was looking straight into his eyes.

"Hermione. No one but yourself blames you for Harry's death. Do you understand that? No one. It was an accident. Accidents happen. You know the same fate would have befallen Harry if it had been Ron in Bellatrix's sights instead of you. What Harry did was what he seems to have been put on this earth to do in the first place, and that was to protect."

With that, tears welled up in Hermione's eyes yet again. George conjured a box of tissues, and began helping Hermione wipe her tears. He wrapped his arms around her still shaking frame, and held her until she fell asleep against his chest. – How could she still be blaming herself for this? It was Harry's choice to sacrifice himself for her. She had no say in the matter. How could she think we blamed her?- Just then, another thought crept into George's mind

Why do I think they all blame me for Fred's death? Because, this is a totally different case, and I _am_ the cause of Fred's death. Had he just taken the healing potion before testing the products…-

With those thoughts of guilt, George fell asleep with Hermione still wrapped comfortable in his arms.

Hermione woke up very warm and comfortable. She snuggled closer to the source of heat, and realized that it was a person. Slowly looking up, she saw that it was George, and the memories from the previous night flooded back to her.

He was so nice to take me in. Here he trusts me with his location, and I thank him by showing up a right mess on his doorstep a few hours later. –

Their conversation came back to her, and she wondered if they really did not blame her for Harry. He seemed so utterly convincing. She didn't think he was lying, but then again she had been practically hysterical. He was probably just trying to calm her down.

She snuggled back up to George, thankful for the warmth and the comfort of being held, the feeling of safety, and drifted back into sleep.


End file.
